2016 Prom: "A Ballroom of Royalty"

By Julia Gokalp
Reporter

​The weeks leading up to May 21 were filled with excitement and anticipation-- especially from the senior class--for that was the day of the senior prom at the Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia.
 
Many of the promposals took much planning and the help of friends, and then getting ready for prom often took much effort as well. The levels of preparation ranged from renting tuxedos and buying flowers to setting up numerous appointments and renting vehicles. While some girls did their own makeup, others went to salons to find them crowded. However, after all of the fast-paced preparation, most people had photo shoots, with their friends or by themselves.
 
Some students rented limousines to carry their groups of friends. Others rented buses for larger groups. The drive to prom was often filled with traffic, but students passed the time by looking through photo shoot pictures, talking about excitement for the event, listening to music, and dancing.
 
Upon arriving, many students were impressed by the location itself. Matt Haldeman, one of the seniors who attended, remembers thinking that it was a “[v]ery elegant and classy venue” when he arrived, describing the place as “[s]omething you would see inside a ballroom of royalty.”
 
The venue included a ballroom with balloons matching the theme (they were red and black, since the theme was the Red Rose Ball), a somewhat crowded dance floor due to the large number of students, an ice sculpture carved into the number 2016, and a huge chandelier. Outside the room was, as described by Jessica Traub, another senior, “a fountain[,] […] and a ton of greenery[,] and an open ceiling which was especially beautiful.”
 
Some of the highlights of students’ nights at prom were spent in that area as they relaxed with their friends. Others enjoyed dancing with their dates and friends, especially the slow dance at the beginning.
 
Connie Yoon described her favorite part, saying that “dancing and singing at the top of my lungs alongside my friends just made it fun.”
 
Another benefit to being at prom was the food. Between appetizers such as cheese and crackers, vegetables, and salad; main courses such as chicken with a side of mashed potatoes and green beans (which was described as “delicious” by Annabeth Mann); and dessert such as ice cream, students had nearly constant access to food.
 
After the meals were served, the DJ finished playing music, and pictures with friends were done being taken, prom ended around 11 p.m. Some students went home while others went to parties with groups of friends. As they were leaving, some seniors realized just how close to the end of their four years in high school they were. However, despite being tired, many were happy because of how fun prom had been. Between dancing, being with friends, and photoshoots, it was a very enjoyable and memorable event.